A Lifetime With Migraines

My name is Nancy. I am a 54 year old woman who suffers with a chronic daily Migraine disorder. It feels as though I have been suffering with migraines for a lifetime, although I didn’t have my first one until I was eighteen years old.

My first severe headache occurred when I was in Army basic training. I had joined the Army right after high school in 1975, for the adventure and educational benefits. During training on a rifle range at Ft. Jackson, SC a bad thunderstorm came upon my unit. We were rushed to a pavilion with bleachers covered with a metal roof for shelter. Unfortunately for us, lightening hit the structure and many young women were injured. Some were taken away by ambulance, but most of us were dazed for a short time and received no medical treatment. As for me I was wearing my hair up that day with a metal barrette, and when the lightening hit the structure it felt like being hit with a baseball bat to the back of my head. I was left with a sore spot on my head and a nasty headache.

I had undiagnosed migraines several times a year until my early thirties. Gradually the frequency and severity of my migraines escalated overtime. I experienced the most severe migraines associated with my menstrual cycle. I was treated early on with the old drug Midrin which was of little help and then with narcotic pain relievers. Then when they came out with Imitrex that helped for a while with acute attacks.

The summer of 2002 was when I started having near daily attacks. Between June and September of that year recorded over 70 attacks. I was so debilitated with pain and nausea that I finally was able to pursuade my PCP to send me to a neurologist. Over the years I tried a variety of anti-epileptic medications as preventive medications with modest improvements. I also developed some other health problems such as Fibromyalgia and Angioedema. Because of the Angioedema I am now very sensitive and allergic to a lot of medications, especially antibiotics and narcotic pain medicines.

At this point I am post menopausal and although I no longer suffer from menstrual headaches I still have well over 15 migraines a month. A recent concussion has exacerbated my condition. I am currently taking Namenda as a preventive medicine. I use triptans regularly, and I have been trained to give myself injections of Toradol when things are really bad. The treatment that has offered me the most relief has been Botox. I am in the care of a Neurologist who specializes in headache management and operates a headache clinic in Indianapolis.

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Comments

I also suffer from Migraines. I had a head injury 21 years ago and that’s when they started but in the last 3 years they increased to about 10 a month. Right now I’m on a streak of 2 per day for the last 5 days. I’ve been to 3 neurologists and tried all the preventative meds that didn’t work. I am going to a new neurologist in a couple of weeks to beg for them to try botox.

Thanks for posting your story. Sometimes us migraineurs feel alone in our daily struggle. I have had migraines since I was a teen also. I used to get them once a year, then in my twenties I started getting them once a month and it seemed that it was hormone related. Now I am 46 years old and I am getting 15 + a month so I sympathize with you. I have taken everything, right now they have me on 50 mil of Amitryptyline and 160 mil of Inderal (due to when I am in pain my bp gets high) When I don’t have migraine my bp is normal. I also have Imitrex injections that I can inject myself instead of having to take a trip to ER $250 later ugh. I have to take phenergan before I give myself and injection or I will vomit. I went to a migraine specialist for a year and all he has done was had me journal everything I ate and when I had a migraine and how long did it last, where was it located. He has just given me drugs preventatives and triptans and pain meds Percoset. I just wish someone could just tell me WHY I am having these and fix me. I don’t like being broken. Here if you ever need to talk Gina Johnson.